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  Ancient Fragment #12

  An old cartographer once marked the Crimson Heart at the meeting of Red Pine Forest, the Mountain of Trembling Rocks, and The Blue River.

  In the margin, he only wrote: Do not forget.

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  Long Tianyu and Hua Qingqing continued their way, making their way much deeper into the forest. They had left the safe areas of the Red Pine Forest and now walked slowly on blood red coloured grass that covered forest floor. Long Tianyu looked down as his boot sank slightly into the soft earth beneath him.

  The further they went from Chisong Village, the deeper they entered the Crimson Heart. The trees here were different from the tall red pine trees, the trees were like any ordinary tree, however their leaves were a deep crimson and their bark a mix of dark red and brown. The forest unsettled both of them, and the air carried a faint metallic scent.

  The Jin family had warned them about the Crimson Heart. Demonic beasts were said to roam freely here, but they rarely ventured beyond the Heart itself. Twin Red Vipers lay waiting for prey, Shadow Wolves hunted in groups, and Cinderclaw Eagles circled high above. Each of these creatures was known for being extremely deadly to mortals and to cultivators.

  Years ago, disaster had struck Chisong Village when a demonic beast left the Heart. Many villagers had died and the tragedy was still a shadow over those who survived.

  Yet, despite the danger within, the Crimson Heart held valuable treasures that drew adventurers and cultivators alike. The Crimson Gold Flower that they were looking for could enhance vitality, Red Heart Stones were highly prized for refining weapons, and Vermilion Star Mushrooms were said to accelerate cultivation. The forest was beautiful in its own way, but that beauty was deadly.

  Long Tianyu lightly touched the crimson leaves of a nearby bush. Their texture was firm under his fingers, almost unnaturally so, and he lifted his eyes to the trees towering above. Their bark was rough and twisted, dark brown. Small streaks of sunlight from the cloudy sky filtered through the crimson canopy, casting muted crimson light over the forest floor. He took in the sight with a sense of awe and unease.

  The path beneath their feet was narrow and winding. Roots twisted across the ground like long, dark veins, and fallen leaves formed a thick crimson carpet that rustled softly with each step.

  “This place is so strange. How is everything blood red?” Long Tianyu asked, glancing at Hua Qingqing.

  She shook her head slightly. “I'm not sure. I have never heard of anything like this in the clan.”

  The two kept walking deeper and deeper, they found some small beasts, but nothing truly dangerous. There was a blood red pool that was infested with fish that had sharp teeth, a tall tree that sat on a small hill that whipped itself against a small squirrel that had walked too closely.

  ''Mhmm, isn't that a Crimson Lash?'' Long Tianyu was thoughtful before he asked about the tree, he wasn't truly sure if the information was correct, he felt like it was but wanted to make sure that Hua Qingqing thought the same. It was still uncomfortable for him to know things he hadn't truly learned by himself.

  ''It should be, do you see the black whip like leaves at the end of its branches?''

  The information kept coming into his mind as he focused on the black leaves and eventually he said to Hua Qingqing ''Are you thinking the same as me? We could use that to make a paste that heals very quickly. It would be good for both of us, even for the Jin family in emergencies.''

  ''Mm'' Hua Qingqing agreed. ''Should you or I?'' she asked.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  ''Humph, leave it to me!'' Long Tianyu replied, feeling confident in his abilities as he walked toward the tree. I don't know exactly how it attacks, so I will take it slowly. The information Long Tianyu had only told him that the leaves were valuable and what they could be used for.

  The red leaves beneath his feet crunched as he stepped closer to the tree, which stood unmoving.

  Hua Qingqing, standing far away, watched with amusement. Why is he not using his soul sense or his swords?

  Long Tianyu felt something was wrong as he drew nearer and the tree still did not attack.

  "Hehe, could it be scared?" Long Tianyu said, lifting his nose slightly.

  Krrrk

  The Crimson Lash shifted faintly, its trunk creaking, and Long Tianyu focused, watching for any movement.

  Woosh

  The ground beneath the red foliage suddenly erupted as three black roots burst upward and tightly coiled around Long Tianyu's feet and waist.

  "Argh! Damned tree! You threw a feint!" Long Tianyu shouted in panic as he realized his mistake. It did not attack only from the trunk. The roots were part of its offense as well.

  He quickly gathered qi, guiding it in a circular motion within his spiritual core before forcing it into his fingers. Grabbing the roots around his waist, he tore them apart. At the same time, the Crimson Lash jerked violently and flung Long Tianyu high into the air before slamming him down toward the ground.

  BANG!

  The impact knocked the air from his lungs as pain shot through his back. His vision blurred, dizziness washing over him. He had not fought seriously in years, and this sudden clash had caught him completely off guard.

  Before he could fully recover, more black roots lashed out, coiling around him again. They tightened, then hurled him upward and flung him far across the forest floor.

  Long Tianyu crashed through leaves and dirt, rolling before finally coming to a stop. Covered in soil, he pushed himself up almost instantly, anger burning in his chest.

  "BASTARD! I WILL MAKE A BONFIRE OUT OF YOU!" he roared.

  But the tree was gone.

  Long Tianyu blinked in confusion and looked around, searching for any sign of it.

  Behind him, Hua Qingqing shook her head, barely holding back a smile. She lifted her hand and pointed into the distance.

  Far away, the Crimson Lash was retreating, its roots lifting and dragging its massive trunk across the ground as it fled. After Long Tianyu had torn apart its roots, it had chosen escape over battle.

  "What the hell is this place? Even the trees can run?" Long Tianyu shouted in stunned amusement.

  Despite the pain in his back and the humiliation of being tossed around, he could not help but stare in disbelief at the sight of a towering tree fleeing like a frightened beast.

  ''Qingqing, we need to spar again in the future, it's been years but remember I won our last fight!'' Long Tianyu ignored the embarrassment of being defeated by a tree and flung himself up and changed the subject.

  ''Are you sure?'' Hua Qingqing crossed her arms over her chest, her long hair fluttering in the air as she laughed slightly.

  ''Fine... but have mercy, you got a long head start.''

  ''Okay, I promise'' Hua Qingqing smiled at the thought of sparring Long Tianyu again.

  ''Oh, and look'' Long Tianyu took out four black leaves from his sleeves''

  Hua Qingqing raised an eyebrow. ''You managed to grab them despite being flung around like that?''

  ''Heh, of course, I can be humiliated, but if I can get the treasure, does it matter? No!''

  ''Also Qingqing, Uncle Haotian kept warning us about not going too far inside, but do you think anyone has ever reached the very center of the forest?”

  “Very likely,” she replied. “It is not that far from the larger towns. The sects must have cleaned these areas for the truly valuable treasures long ago. They are greedy and will not hesitate to kill for anything valuable.”

  “Right,” Long Tianyu muttered. His mind drifted back to Moondragon City and the incident that had changed his life.

  His thoughts were interrupted as Hua Qingqing suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

  “Stop!” she whispered.

  Long Tianyu looked at her in confusion. “What is it?”

  He couldn't sense anything around them, but he trusted her and readied himself for any demonic beast that would attack them.

  She closed her eyes, focusing on her soul sense and spreading it outward. Being in the eighth stage of Elementary Soul Realm gave her perception far beyond Long Tianyu's. Her energy reached into the forest. After a moment, her eyes snapped open.

  “There,” she whispered. She gripped his sleeve tightly and tugged him forward. “Something is happening ahead.”

  Long Tianyu hesitated. “Wait, Qingqing. This could be dangerous. We should be careful.”

  “It is alright. I already checked the surroundings. Nothing can ambush us without me knowing,” she replied confidently.

  He nodded and followed her. “Fine. Let's go.”

  They moved through the thick crimson foliage, the path narrowing as roots and low branches forced them to walk close together.

  Soon they reached an opening and they saw a figure in the distance.

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  End of chapter 12 - Crimson Heart